Defensive end Connor Barwin has been consistently rising up draft boards as
he worked out at the Senior Bowl and the Combine. Projected widely as a high
second-round draft pick, the buzz on the former tight end is that he's now
worked his way into the first-round after an outstanding Pro Day showing.
Barwin ran a 4.47-second 40-time at his Pro Day according to the University
of Cincinnati's timer, but some onlookers clocked him at 4.43 to 4.45 seconds.
That kind of speed from a 6-foot-4, 256-pound player got the attention of the
roughly 40 NFL spectators who had come to the school to watch Barwin and his
Bearcats teammates work out. Barwin had previously posted a 4.66 time at the
Combine, second-best in his position group, so few NFL talent evaluators had
expected him to run again.
Among the most notable attendees were Jets head coach Rex Ryan and Bengals
head coach Marvin Lewis. But in an odd twist, Giants tight ends coach Mike Pope
and Jacksonville assistant head coach and tight ends coach, Mike Tice, were also
in Cincinnati to get a first-hand look at how Barwin would perform.
Previously, it was believed that all of the NFL clubs interested in Barwin
would put him on their roster as an outside linebacker or a defensive end. But as
he's held private workouts for teams, and based on feedback from coaches
yesterday, at least five teams are still evaluating him as a tight end due to
his size, speed and athleticism.
During position drills, NFL coaches and scouts were treated to spectacle that
is a true rarity. Barwin went through position drills as a defensive end, a
linebacker, an offensive lineman to put his blocking skills on display, and as a
tight end to show his pass catching skills. While some of the players were
winded after their one set of position drills, Barwin confidently worked his way
through four sets of position drills.
Although he's already been quite busy with private workouts and visits, he's
likely to be in even higher demand after his yet another impressive post-season
workout. Barwin worked out for the Patriots on March 10, the Seahawks on the
13th, the Dolphins on the 16th, and the Broncos on the 17th. He also plans to
work out at the Bengals' workout for local players on April 14th.
Barwin's already had an official visit with the Buffalo Bills in March, but
he has four visits planned for April already. He'll kick off his road trips with
the Kansas City Chiefs on April 1st and 2nd, then he's off to Tennessee to meet
with the Titans on the 5th and 6th. Then it's off to Jacksonville for a visit on
the 12th and 13th followed by the Rams on the 15th and 16th.
The Atlanta Falcons and the Chiefs have also expressed interest in setting up a private
workout, but a date hasn't been firmed-up as of yet.
Scout.com will continue to track Barwin's progress up through draft
weekend, so be sure to check back frequently for updates and special features on
this unique individual and player.
Read more about Connor Barwin through the links on his Scout.com
profile page.
Stay up to date on the latest team draft information for the Jaguars, Patriots, Bills, Chiefs, Dolphins and Falcons.
A member of the Pro Football Writers of America, Ed Thompson's player interviews and NFL features
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